JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Thanks to another Falcon 9 launch from the Space Coast before sunrise Monday morning, we got an incredible look at noctilucent clouds.
The First Coast Weather Watchers Facebook page has multiple photos submitted of the phenomenon.
These types of clouds are especially interesting because they are bright and very visible even before the sun has risen over our horizon. The Falcon 9 rocket was launched a little after 5 a.m. Monday, well before first sunlight, and yet the clouds appeared to glow in the dark. That's because they were forming from the exhaust of the rocket more than 200,000 feet in the air, so while the sun had not risen for us, it was able to reflect off those clouds.
Hence the term "noctilucent," which means "night shining."
Here are some more pictures from our Weather Watchers Facebook page. Be sure to check that out here for other interesting sights we get in our weather on the First Coast.
